


PokeFusions -Luke's and Lapis's Tale

by Stormflyer (Subzero_Dragon)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Hermaphrodites, Original Character(s), Other, Sharing a Body, Transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-05-29 17:16:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15077957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subzero_Dragon/pseuds/Stormflyer
Summary: Luke is a largely ordinary trainer from Unova who has a... "special" relationship with his Gardevoir, Lapis. She has recently evolved, and that new evolution sparked a growing fascination with her master. During a trip to the islands of Alola, a surprise encounter with a swarm of Ultra Beast leaves them fused together. The pair soon learns becoming closer isn't as simple as they hoped!





	1. A Different But Good Feeling

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE NOTE: Pokephilia, fusions, hermaphrodites, and lemons ahead! Do not read if this offends you. Tags/warnings may change as the story progresses.

_**Chapter 1** _

 

“Congratulations, Lapis! Looks like you’re finally a Gardevoir now!”

 

When my vision recovered from the light, I looked down at my body, both intrigued and more than a little surprised. Sure enough, it was just as Master said. My small, cute form had matured. I was a Kirlia no more, I was now a fully-evolved Gardevoir. I knew this day would come, but the suddenness of my evolution was startling all the same. I felt much more powerful, more aware, like my senses were expanded. My horn had moved from my head to my chest, and I was physically bigger; it looked like I’d grown a couple of feet. I could now look Master in the eye instead of looking up at him as I always did. I did just that, locking eyes with Master and projecting an emotion to him in response. This one was a proud, confident feeling, and I shared it.

 

“ _Look, Master! Now I’m full-grown!”_

 

“You sure are, Lapis,” he laughed as he looked me up and down, “you sure are! Look how tall you are now! I guess you can’t ride around on my shoulder anymore, huh.” He was giving me that same playful smile I’ve adored since I was a Ralts.

 

My own proud smile fell a notch. _“That’s true. No more Grumpiggy-back rides...”_ I regained my grin as I realized something, _“Wait a second! I can talk telepathically now!”_

 

His eyes got wide and he looked at me funny. “So you can. Huh. I’ve spent so long just assuming what you’re saying that I almost didn’t realize it. This’ll take some getting used to...”

 

“ _I think it’s a good thing.”_ I walked over to his side and put my hand on his shoulder. _“And now that I’m finally grown up, I can start to pay you back for what you did for me. It’s my turn to protect you.”_

 

“Pay me back?” Master gave me a more joshing look, “We’re a team, Lapis. Paybacks are for strangers. Don’t worry about it.”

 

I shook my head. _“Master, you know I can’t do that. You saved my life. You’re the most important human in the world to me. If something happened to you, I could never forgive myself. Please understand.”_

 

Master’s face showed a brief look of shock. He flashed me a grin to hide it, but I felt the surprise that his expression hid. “What happened to you Lapis? You used to be so timid. What’s gotten into you?”

 

Master was right. I _had_ changed—I evolved. I also knew that wasn’t what he meant. I’d realized it just now. It wasn’t just my body that changed when I evolved. Ever since I was a Ralts, I’d been a very shy scardey-Meowth of a Pokémon. I’d even run away from Master that day he saved me from being eaten by a Liepard. I didn’t even realize that he was my hero in my panic.

 

Becoming a Kirlia made me more confident, but there were still times when I would freeze up because I was unsure of what to to. Now that I was a Gardevoir, all those insecurities were gone like morning fog before the sun. Master was that sun—my sun.

 

I now felt an overwhelming urge to protect Master, to serve him, to be his best partner. Come to think of it, calling him Master was a change too. I knew my trainer’s name well enough: Luke. It felt more right to call Luke “Master,” but I wasn’t entirely sure why I felt so strongly about it now. As the notion came, I realized that I didn’t care. Master was Luke, Luke was Master. There was no difference between the two, save a name.

 

“ _I don’t know if I can answer that, Master...”_ I admitted as I rubbed my chin, _“is that bad?”_

 

Master’s grin became genuine and he stroked my hair. “It’s not a bad different. It’s just… different.” He seemed to realize what he was doing, and he recoiled while giving me an embarrassed look.

 

I could feel the sudden shyness, but I didn’t know why he was reacting like that.  _“Master? Why did you stop?”_

 

I could feel Master become conflicted a bit, “You… look a lot like a human now, Lapis. It’s kind of weird to pet you now...”

 

“ _I resemble a human to you? If that means no more head-pets, then I don’t like it.”_ I couldn’t hold back projecting my disappointment along with a frown. Why was resembling a human making Master so uncomfortable? Was it a taboo thing for human boys to pet human girls? I didn’t understand.

 

Master sighed in relief. “You still like it? Then don’t mind if I do! You’re soft.” I giggled as he ran his fingers through my hair again. I felt Master’s happiness grow, and I shared my own. We just stood there, Master petted me and I let him. I wanted him to keep it up, but I remembered something important we needed to do.

 

“ _Master, we need to get back to Castelia City. We don’t want to miss the ship.”_

 

Master seemed to recall, “That’s right! Tomorrow’s the day we get to go to Alola! I’m originally from Sinnoh, but we moved to Unova when I was little. Not long after I started my journey, Mom’s job made her and Dad move all the way to Alola. I bet you’ve never been to Alola, huh Lapis?”

 

I shook my head and Master continued, “That’s okay, neither have I. All I know about Alola comes from the letters and pictures my family sends me. They say Alola’s full of friendly people and they love visitors! They also say it’s so tropical there that it doesn’t ever snow, even in the dead of winter! And there’s Pokémon there that don’t live anywhere else in the world! Does that sound like paradise or what?!”

 

Master’s growing excitement was getting me worked up too. I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just smiled noncommittally. He was right, I’d never been to Alola before. In fact, I’ve never seen much of the world until Master caught me. Now, I’d seen him get three of those Gym Badges humans like to earn. He’s gotten better at fighting, as have I. In fact, we were training out here on Route 4, passing time until tomorrow. I didn’t expect to evolve today! Well, no regrets here. I was decidedly content with what I’d become.

 

I followed Master out of the grass patch we’d been wandering about in and we turned down the road south towards the city. The sun was starting to set, and the shadows were lengthening. I yawned and suddenly realized how tired I was. Training and evolving took more energy out of me than I first realized. I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

 

Master pulled me over with an arm about my shoulder. I saw he was holding a photograph in his hand. The picture showed two grinning, suntanned, adult humans on the porch of a single-level house painted different shades of powder-blue. A small, yellow insect Pokémon with a puffball body was sipping nectar from lush, red flowers that climbed over the railings. The female human was wearing a striped blue sun dress and was waving at the camera, a watering can in one hand and her straw sunhat in the other. The wind was blowing, and her long brown hair was messily strung across her dark-eyed face. The male was also brunette, but with hazel eyes like Master’s. He resembled an older version of Master. He wearing short, baggy jeans and a Carracosta-print, button-down shirt in a style I’d never seen before. The man was lounging in a woven chair, holding a fat cigar and shielding his eyes from the sun. He seemed to be the one taking the picture.

 

“That’s them,” Master said, pointing to the humans, “my parents. I bet you don’t remember yours, do you?”

 

So those were Master’s parents. I wondered what it would be like to have a family. I thought about Master’s question for a moment. I hatched in the wild, alone and helpless. If I did have a family, I didn’t remember them. _“No. I don’t know a thing about them...”_

 

“Oh.” Master seemed at a loss for a moment. “Well, you’re in for a treat!” Master’s excitement went up again, “Mom always said she wanted to see you in person. She thinks you’re cute like a little doll! Bet she’s gonna be surprised to see you all grown up. Oh, and Dad wants to see how strong we are. He told me he was was a trainer when he was a teenager before her met Mom.”

 

I felt Master grow a bit uneasy all of a sudden. “I wonder if I’m good enough? I don’t wanna embarrass him by being weak...”

 

“ _I don’t know how strong your father was, but I am no slouch,”_ I reassured Master, _“I’ve watched you grow from a confused boy who barely knew how to even throw a Pokéball, into a man I am proud to call Master. I won’t let you down!”_

 

“Aw, quit buttering me up Lapis! You’re gonna make me blush.” Master scratched his ear sheepishly, “I’m _not_ that good yet. I only have three out of eight Badges for the Unova Gyms. And then there’s the Elite Four. That’s not even counting the Champion, or other countries. I’m wimpier than a newborn Pidove compared to the League members.”

 

“ _I’d have to see that for myself before I believe that.”_

 

Trainers  stronger than Master? I know they might have been out there, but I found it hard to believe. I’d seem him lose to other trainers before. But what I never lost was my  commitment . Even when he was down after a fight, I’d share my belief in him, and he’d smile every time and tell me I was cute to keep  confiding in him. I didn’t have such  trust because I thought Master was invincible. It was because no matter how dismal he felt,  no matter how many times he was beaten , he always got back on his feet and ended up on top. That’s what  _real_ power  wa s— and what I admired most about Master —not  his  strength but  his persistence.

 

Master laughed again and ruffled my hair in the way he’d do when he was getting embarrassed. It made me giggle again. He sighed, “I wish I had half the faith in myself that you have for me. Thanks, Lapis.” 

 

“ _Don’t thank me for stating the truth, Master.”_ I replied.

 

“That’s exactly what I mean. That right kind of stuff there. Thanks, Lapis.” He patted me one more time and pointed up ahead. “We’re here, Castelia City. Do you want to go in your ball?”

 

I shook my head.  _“I know not all human places allow Pokémon out of their balls, so I want to be right here as long as I can.”_

 

“The ship caters specifically to trainers. Sometimes they even battle right on deck! I’m sure they’ll be fine with you being out. Can’t say the same about the hotel though. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to you all the same.” Master reassured me. “C’mon Lapis, let’s head to the hotel and rest up. Follow me, try not to get lost.”

 

I hoped he was right and I could stay out with him. Being in a ball was a bit like being inside a fishbowl. I could still see and hear, but I couldn’t act, or speak, or attack, or anything except watch. Sometimes, Master would talk to me in my ball. Even though I couldn’t even respond with an emotion, I still appreciated it a lot. But it wasn’t entirely a bad thing, being in a ball. Being in a ball also let me see a side of Master that he didn’t show me much of. Like the time he got a letter that made him cry for two hours. Or the time he complimented a girl’s chest size and got slapped as a rebuke. Or even the time he took a shower and accidentally left my ball in the shower stall.

 

Actually, thinking about things like that was bringing a strange new feeling to the surface. It was stronger than the affection I always felt, but similar. It made my heart race a bit and brought a smile to my face. It was kind of like a cross between happiness and the satisfied feeling I got after Master complimented me. It was a feeling like… like what? I couldn’t even identify it.

 

Wait, why was I having those kind of thoughts about Master anyway? Master was right, I _had_ changed in a big way. But exactly _what_ were these feelings I was having? I had no idea what to make of it.

 

By the time I came back out of my own thoughts, we had made it to a hotel by the docks. I followed Master inside, where a smiling man behind the counter nodded at us.

 

“Welcome to the Cherri-Berri Hotel!” he beamed, “How may I help you?”

 

“I need a room for one night,” Master said, “What’s your rates?”

 

“We have a standard rate of 500 Poké a night for a single room, plus an additional 500 Poké deposit for trainers. Will that suffice?”

 

Master balked at the price. “What? Since when was there a deposit!?”

 

The receptionist looked a bit chagrined. “Sorry kid, we’ve had trouble with trainers leaving huge Pokémon-related messes in their rooms lately. The last one gave his Muk a bath and stunk up the entire eighth floor for a week! You’ll get the deposit back when you check out, if your room is in acceptable condition. Rules are rules...”

 

“Ugh, seriously? I get to pay because someone else was being an idiot?” Master’s frustration was so palpable that I could feel it without even sensing for it. “That’s going to set me back further than I planned...” After several uncomfortable moments, Master sighed, “Anywhere else’s going to be full this close to the departure... alright fine, I got it. I’ll make sure Lapis behaves herself.”

 

“Very good then. Please pay in full up front, and I’ll direct you two to your room.” Master paid the bill, and the receptionist took a key-card off a peg behind him. “This way—room 137.”

 

I followed Master again, who followed the receptionist in turn. We walked a short ways down the hall and past many doors, then paused at a particular door where he handed Master the key-card. He bowed with a crisp, “Have a good night sir,” then looked at me with a subtle wink, “lady,” and left back to the front desk. I tipped my head at what he called me. Lady? Was that a joke, because I resemble a human, like Master said?

 

Master unlocked the door and held the door open, “Hope you don’t mind us sharing a room. I didn’t expect you to evolve today, so I only planned for a single-bed room. I can see if we have a fold-out bed for you or-”

 

“ _You mean we can’t share the bed? Why?”_ I asked.

 

Master gave that same weird look he got when he stopped petting me earlier. “W-well… you’re a lot bigger now, Lapis. I don’t think we’ll both fit on  the bed .”

 

Okay, good point. I still wasn’t used to my new, bigger body. We used to sleep together sometimes, and I didn’t mind it. In fact, I liked it quite a lot. At first, he was hugging me mostly to keep warm, or so he claimed. It developed over the course of our two years together into an understanding kind of thing that I looked forward to. Feeling his warmth and rhythm of Master’s breathing against my body was very soothing, and I knew it was mutual for him too. Furthermore, I could sense Master’s unhindered true self when he slept. It was like taking the cover off of a beautiful sculpture to see the form underneath. That was my favorite way to see him—without any of the acts and faces he had to put on in front of everyone else. I couldn’t tell him any of that, because my telepathic power wasn’t strong enough back then. Emotions alone couldn’t speak what I needed to say. 

 

Now that I  _could_ say it to Master, I wasn’t sure I wanted to anymore. What did he mean we couldn’t sleep together? Was it really just because of my size? The thought that I might not be able to do that very personal ritual anymore just because I was bigger galled me deep.

 

“ _Master, does that mean we’ll never sleep together again?”_ I asked  gloomily. I hoped I wasn’t projecting the sadness I felt.

 

“No, I mean… Of course we can still sleep together.” Master gave me a hug all of a sudden. The close contact intensified his resonating feelings in me. “If we fit, I mean. Don’t want to wake up with cramps because we got nostalgic.”

 

Good point again, Master.  It was just like him to think  so practically. What was I thinking, jumping to a silly conclusion? I smiled and nodded my agreement, projecting a content acknowledgment.  I finally came out from the doorway and walked into the room.  Master was right behind me, and he turned the lights on as he shut the door behind us. Against the far wall, next to a window overlooking the dock, was the bed. I could see it was not in fact small. It looked big enough for both of us to fit in easily. There was a TV, a small couch with a table in front, and a desk in the corner.  The room was  overall much bigger than I thought it would be,  especially since we were worried about space earlier . 

 

“Would you look at that?” Master seemed just as surprised, “I guess they gave us a queen-sized bed instead of a single. Lucky us! We don’t have to worry about the bed anymore.” Queen-sized? Was this a bed meant for a queen? I didn’t think it looked special apart from being kind of big. The bedding was not particularly ornate either: just a simple blue, ferry-themed duvet with life-preserver shaped decorative pillows on it. I chalked it up to one of those inexplicable human contrary phrases. 

 

Master yawned and stretched. “Welp, time for a shower. Go get comfy, Lapis. I’ll join you in about ten minutes.” I couldn’t hold back a projection of excitement. Master laughed at me and flashed me a grin. “Don’t get too worked up, or you won’t be able to sleep.”

 

“ _I can’t help it, Master,”_ I mentally blurted, _“I like being with you. It’s so relaxing...”_

 

“Haha, me too,” Master agreed, “But can you stop calling me Master? It feels weird.”

 

I paused for a moment, stunned by his request. Then, I replied with an accompanying emotion of confusion, _“Is calling you ‘Master’ not accurate? You_ _ **are**_ _Master...”_

 

Master—Luke—was flustered by my response. “S-sorry, Lapis. Didn’t mean to make you upset. Call me whatever makes you happy. I’ll get over it.”

 

Oh Master, always putting my feelings first. But calling him that made him uncomfortable. I realized I shouldn’t be so selfish.  _ “ _ _ My feelings aren’t so important as yours.  _ _ I’ll call you what  _ _**you** _ _ like, Luke.” _

 

“Haha, this side of you will _definitely_ take some getting used to.” Luke ruffled my hair again and made me coo happily. “I better get that shower. Feel free to watch TV or something, okay Lapis?”

 

I nodded my acknowledgment, and Master—Luke—left to the bathroom. I watched him pull the door shut, and stared after him for several moments. For some reason, even just losing eye-contact with him was unsettling. I shook my head and tore my gaze from the door. Luke would be just fine. It was just a shower. He’d be just fine...

 

I was thinking to hard again. I decided to take Luke’s advice and try to watch some TV. I reached for the remote, then decided to just levitate it to me instead. I couldn’t help smiling. My powers were far stronger than when I was a Kirlia. I used to have trouble merely lifting a Pokéball, let alone carrying something to me. Luke was worried about us being weak—he was going to be in for a surprise when he showed his family what I could do. I started browsing the channels, settling on one at random. The show I arrived at featured a series of humorous and ridiculous videos, punctuated by the host’s snarky wit. Weird, but watchable. I even laughed several times.

 

I became distracted enough that a click from the door surprised me. I shot a look over and discovered that the door had drifted open just a crack. Luke must not have shut it quite all the way. For a while, I stared at the door again. I was getting that strong urge to see Luke again. This time it was almost as if the door itself was a sign. I finally decided on silencing that gnawing fear. I used my power to nudge the door the rest of the way open. If I could just see him, maybe this anxiety would fade. Steam rolled out from behind the door briefly. When it cleared, I could finally see Luke. He had just emerged from the shower and was grabbing a towel from a nearby bar. As I felt a wave of relief replace my nagging concern, I realized another feeling was starting to appear. It was that “different” happiness that I was feeling earlier—only it was even stronger now. I found myself tracing his body up and down as if for the first time. It was far from the first time I saw Luke without his clothes on. Sometimes we would even shower together. So why was I staring at him so intensely? I was not sure… but I decided that I liked the feeling I was getting from this.

 

Luke noticed me and grinned my way. “Haha, you couldn’t wait til I was done could you?” He grabbed the towel off the rack and began drying his still-wet skin as he shot me a silly smirk. “Give me one more minute. I just finished.”

 

With my worry sated, I was finally able to return to the TV. Sure enough, Luke came right out as quickly as he said he would. He was wearing what he usually did when he slept: nothing but his boxers. He noticed me looking his way again and smiled. “Alright, Lapis. Let’s get some sleep.”

 

I responded with a content acknowledgment. I shut off the TV and joined him gladly. It was such a simple thing, but I was glad Master felt we could still do this. He took the left side of the bed, so I went to the right. To my delight, he even put an arm around me.

 

“Promise me you’ll never change _this_ part of you Lapis.”

 

“ _I promise Mas—Luke,”_ I had to pause to correct myself mid-sentence, _“Let’s be like this forever.”_ Luke said nothing, but nodded at me. I was already feeling his mind relax and his breathing begin to slow. I nuzzled up tighter to him and smiled happily. Evolving had brought so much change. If I could still keep moments like these just for myself, then I could do anything, _anything_ with my favorite Master right by my side.  



	2. Encounter at Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Lapis leave for their vacation. They are both nervous about the trip, as they have never been to Alola before. What this new trip bring them?

* * *

 

I awoke to a sunbeam on my face. I was feeling so good after last night. I hadn’t slept so well in weeks. Being in a soft bed was only part of it: the other was being beside my dear Luke. I stretched out the remaining stiffness from my limbs and rolled to face him. Luke was still sound asleep, and he was snoring lightly. I couldn’t resist staring at Master. Just seeing him safe by my side made me feel like all was right with the world. It occurred to me again that something was different in how I saw Master since evolving. It wasn’t bad, just _different._

 

I looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that we only had one hour before the ship departed! I shot up and whisked the duvet off the bed. _“Master!”_ I called, _“Wake up! We’re going to miss the boat!”_

 

Master didn’t respond immediately. He mumbled something incoherent under his breath and rolled onto his back. I sighed. I might have changed, but Master sure didn’t—still such a sleepy Slakoth in the mornings. That was when I noticed a bulge poking up in his boxers. I tilted my head in curiosity. This was something I hadn’t noticed before. Was that normal? Master mumbled again and finally opened his eyes. He just stared at me rather dully for a few seconds. Then he noticed I was looking right at him.

 

“What… time is it?” he grumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

 

“ _It’s quarter till eight, M—Luke,”_ I poked him on the shoulder, _“Get up!”_

 

Luke sat up, “Okay, okay I’m up already.” With another yawn, Luke sat up and scratched his head. “What time is it?” he asked sleepily.

 

“ _It’s quarter til eight,”_ I repeated.

 

Luke’s eyes went wide and he sprang to his feet. “What?! Dammit, we’re gonna be late! The boat leaves at nine!” he rushed to the bathroom and shouted over his back, “Lapis, help me out, got it? We’re in a time crunch!”

 

I nodded and started packing away the things Luke wasn’t using. Using my psychic powers to load up his backpack made the chore a breeze. Within just a minute, I was finished. I decided to go and see what else Master needed from me. I walked over to the bathroom and gently pushed the door open.

 

“ _Master, did you need—?”_ The rest of my sentence was stopped by the sight I found: Luke as naked as a Pidove. He had his back turned to me and was rooting through a drawer.

 

“Dammit,” he grumbled, “Where are they?”

 

I was too enraptured by what I was seeing to pay attention to his words. I could only stare. This was far from the first time I’d seen Master without clothes. This _was_ the first time I’d looked at him like this. His naked body had a number of qualities I never truly noticed before. He wasn’t scrawny, but not very muscular either. Overall, his tan figure reminded me of a Persian: slender but powerful. I found myself staring in particular at his strong legs. I was starting to feel that odd excitement again as I traced my eyes farther up to his manhood. I never _really_ looked at Master’s penis before. Master would occasionally boast that his dick was huge. To my inexperienced eyes, he _did_ look big, much bigger than I remembered. I was getting even more worked up. I liked feeling like this. I wanted to get even closer to Master, but how would I even begin?

 

Master turned around just then. “Hey Lapis, did you—?” Master’s question was cut off when he caught me staring. He gave me a strange look for a second that quickly changed to amusement.

 

“What, do you like what you see?” Master put one hand on the counter and the other behind his head, posing dramatically at me. I blushed and giggled, wringing my hands coyly. I didn’t expect Master to get so bold all of a sudden! Or, was he just teasing me? Either way, I was struck with a sudden demureness.

 

“Heh, you don’t need to say anything. Your reaction says it all.” Master ruffled my hair, “You’re funny, trying to come on to me when we’re supposed to be hurrying!” Master’s grin grew predatory for some reason, “Tell you what: I’ll treat you to some _special_ training tonight. How’s that sound?”

 

I had no idea what he meant by most of that, but any time spent with my dear Master was time I cherished. I nodded happily with a coo of delight. Master ruffled my hair again with a laugh of his own. “I thought so, you shameless little pervert. Let’s hurry and finish getting ready to go before we get too steamy, okay?”

 

Again, I had no idea what he meant so I nodded my agreement. He returned the nod and said, “Good, it’s a date then!” Luke returned to rooting around the bathroom, “So, back to what I was going to ask, can you help me find my underwear?Can’t go out bare-assed...”

 

I replied by pulling a clean set of clothes out of his backpack with my telekinesis. Luke seemed surprised, then gave me that sly grin again, “You set me up on purpose didn’t you?”

 

I still had no idea what Luke kept going on about, so I just smiled. Luke laughed for some reason at this. “You minx. I’ll remember this.”

 

I thought he was praising me, so I giggled happily. _“Anytime, Luke, anytime.”_ That made Luke laugh even harder. By now I was genuinely confused. Humans could be such bizarre beings sometimes. At least I was making him laugh. In fact, his attitude was so contagious I laughed right back.

 

With his clothes now found, Luke instructed me to look for any leftover items while he dressed. As soon as he was through, he gathered up his backpack and his belt and we both left to the front desk to collect the deposit. In our rush to leave, I forgot to check the time. I had no idea how late we were running.

 

With the checkout all cleared, we rushed to the dock where the ship was waiting. Luke would later tell me this was only a “small” passenger vessel, but to me it seemed huge—at least three decks tall. The main deck looked like it could hold a good three-dozen people on it. I could also see an arena where battles could be held. In fact, I saw two teens squaring off and brandishing Pokéballs at each other.

 

I was so busy gawking that I almost didn’t notice Luke giving me a look. “C’mon, Lapis! You’ll get all the time to gawk you’ll ever need soon enough. It’s last call for boarding!”

 

I hurried after Luke and followed him up the walkway to the lower deck. From there, I kept tailing him through the confusing hallways until we finally made it to the uppermost deck. Once we made it, Luke immediately walked over to the railing and leaned on it as he caught his breath.

 

“Whew, that was too close,” he panted as he checked his watch, “We only had ten minutes to spare...” He stood there for a while before turning to me. “Hey Lapis? How do I look?Not a total slob, I hope?”

 

I looked him over. Luke was dressed in the outfit he usually wore: a red t-shirt with a Pokéball print on it and a matching denim jacket, blue-jeans held up with his trainer’s belt, and his favorite tennis shoes. His perpetually messy dark hair was poked under a black baseball cap that he always wore backwards. This was Luke as I’d always known him.

 

I answered, _“You always look good to me, Master.”_

 

“Hey, what did I say about calling me Master? Cut that out. It’s Luke, only Luke. Calling me ‘Master’ makes me feel like I have a handmaiden or something...”

 

I bit my lip. _“Sorry, Luke. It slipped out...”_

 

Luke waved a hand at me, “Ah, don’t sweat it. Just try a little harder, got it?”

 

Luke leaned out over the railing, pulling me close and turning me to face the sea. “But enough of that. Look at these waves! What a view, right?There’s miles and miles of beaches in Alola, so we’ll get to see even more of the ocean soon. They say there’s even a beach where the sand is black! Crazy, huh? I’d like to see that for myself. How about you, Lapis? Do you want to see the beaches too?”

 

In all honesty, not really—at least not right now. I wasn’t feeling very confident about this trip. Something about all this water was making me feel uneasy. I looked towards the land, maybe that would ease my nerves. It didn’t. The sight of the city growing smaller and smaller was making me even more uneasy. I hoped I wasn’t projecting that. At least Luke was looking forward to it, so for his sake, I’d try to manage my fears. _“I’d be happy to go anywhere if it’s with you, Luke.”_

 

Luke stopped staring and looked me in the eyes. “Is something bugging you?” And there went my hopes that I wasn’t projecting my feelings again—he saw right through me again. Was I that bad at hiding it?

 

Luke snapped his fingers and grinned. “Oh, I get it. You’ve never been on a ship before, huh? I bet you’ve never even seen the open ocean before have you?” I shook my head at both questions.

 

“It’s okay. Neither have I. But think of all the fun we’ll have in Alola! You’ll get to meet my family, and you’ll see the beaches and the sights and all the new Pokémon! This’ll be the best vacation ever! You’ll see.” Luke put his arm around my shoulder. I could feel his anticipation, and I let myself mirror it. He had the right idea. I was letting my anxiety get in the way of my enjoyment. I should follow his example.

 

We stood together for a long while, enjoying the breeze and chatting about whatever came to mind. Most of our conversation was just small talk, but we kept returning to the subject of Luke’s family. He was so excited to show me off to his parents, especially his mother. Apparently he’d been mailing them pictures of us, and his mother in particular was fond of me. He’d mentioned most of that earlier, but I couldn’t help getting caught up in his excitement.

 

We both were so caught up in our conversations that I didn’t even notice that night was starting to fall until I looked over the horizon and saw the sky was black. Wait a moment…something was not right. When we left, it was only nine o’clock. Surely we hadn’t been out here all day. I started to hear distant thunder, and that was when I realized why the sky was black. A storm was brewing.

 

Luke shuddered and pulled his jacket closer. “Brr. It sure got cold all of a sudden… Lapis?” He must have noticed me staring up at the sky.

 

He followed my gaze and frowned. “Well, that’d do it. Weird. The weather was supposed to be sunny for the next few days...”

 

Another bolt of lightning—this one much closer—arced across the sky. It snapped to the ocean’s surface and sent a nearly-immediate crack of thunder through the air. I jumped in surprise, and my instincts kicked up. Something about this lightning was very wrong...

 

“ _Luke, I don’t think—”_ My warning was cut short by a lightning strike in the waves near the prow of the ship. The brightness of the bolt and the roar of the thunderclap was loud enough to make me flinch, duck down, and cover my ears.

 

“Yow!” Luke shouted from beside me, “What the hell?!”

 

I shook the spots from my eyes and tried to look back up. Though my vision had yet to fully return, I could still sense something here. But was it human or Pokémon? Where was it? I tried to home in on it and identify this life-form with my psychic. I felt a hand grab mine and yank me aside.

 

“Lapis, hit the deck!” Luke shouted. I tripped and fell on my side. Yet another lightning-bolt roared out of the clouds and cracked even closer. Water sizzled as sparks rained down on the deck nearby. Since I was looking down at the time, I wasn’t blinded this time. Now that my sight had recovered somewhat, I stood back up and searched for the thing I kept sensing.

 

I next heard a bizarre, alien growl. It was a groaning,synthetic snarl interlaced with the snaps of electricity. I hunted for the source of the cry, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from. Just then, I saw a large, black, tentacled thing with a sparking “head” descend from the sky.

 

Wait, it didn’t quite come from the sky. Looking up again revealed a gaping, purple hole with some kind of blue energy erupting from it. The hole seemed to tear right through the sky itself, revealing a black darkness within. I’d never seen anything like it. And more of the creatures were falling out of that hole! Most of the things splashed into the water with the sizzles and snaps of shorting-out electricity. A few were sucked back into the hole, but the number of falling creatures was staggering.

 

“ _Master, this is too dangerous!”_ I warned, _“Let’s get to safety! ”_

 

Luke had been staring agape at the sky until just now, slack-jawed in shock. I nudged him again. _“Master!”_

 

Another lightning strike roared into the sea, and Luke finally seemed to snap out of his stupor. “This is bad. Lapis, let’s get the fuck out of here!”

 

I had to agree, this _was_ bad! We had to get to safety. I searched for some shelter. One of the things landed on the deck right in front of Luke, cutting off our chance of escape. The creature was wadded up in a Rattata’s nest of sparking wires and rubber. It unfolded itself, extending wire-like limbs as the abomination drew itself upright. The thing turned and squared its stance at us threateningly.

 

I took a protective step in front of Master. _“Go on without me! I’ll buy you time!”_ I gathered my power and prepared to defend us from this alien.

 

“Fuck that!” Luke grabbed my arm again and spun me to him. “I won’t leave you behind, you hear me!? We’re getting out of here together!”

 

That thing buzzed at us. I could see it gathering electricity at what seemed to be its “arms.” The thing buzzed electronically at us with a tone I took to be threatening. I had no idea what this thing was supposed to be, but it had Master in its sights. My eyes widened and I gasped. It was going to attack Master! His back was to the creature—there was no way I could pull him out of range, and I hadn’t the time to enact a teleport. Instead, I acted on pure instinct to protect my Master.

 

No matter the cost, I would protect Luke.

 

“ _Master, look out!”_ I unleashed my strongest powers in front of us all at once. I thought I was placing a reflect barrier up, but the power that came was different than normal. What appeared instead of my usual barrier was a tiny,dark ball. I was very surprised by it. I only had the time to realize the black orb was growing at an alarming pace before a huge force burst from the orb in all directions, knocking Luke from his feet and into me. We both hit the deck hard, with him landing square on top of me. I only briefly saw the energy wave striking the creature before the darkness overcame me and by senses went blank.

 

I awoke slowly to murmuring and whispers. I groaned and opened my eyes weakly. I was staring up at a clear, cloudless sky. I propped myself up and looked about. Charred scars from what must have been a long battle peppered the deck, and the smell of ozone lingered in the air. There were people gathered all around me in a tight circle, who suddenly backed up several steps when I sat up.

 

“What’s up with this thing?”

 

“It’s kind of freaking me out...”

 

“Look, it’s waking up!”

 

“Someone, ask it what happened!”

 

“But can it even understand us?”

 

The humans were acting really strangely for some reason. Why were they staring and asking such weird questions?And where has Master gone?! I shot up and scanned the crowd for him. I had to find him...

 

“Oww… what the hell happened to me?”

 

Master!?I knew I heard his voice just now. I searched frantically for him, but I saw no sign of Luke anywhere. _“Luke?”_ I called out telepathically, _“Where are you?”_

 

“Huh? Where are you Lapis? I hear you, but I don’t see you...”

 

“ _I was wondering the same thing. Please, where are you?!”_

 

“I’m right here on the deck!”

 

The murmuring of the crowd fell dead silent all of a sudden. I ignored their reactions because I was still desperate to find Master. Just then, I felt my legs moving of their own accord.

 

“Don’t go anywhere, Lapis. I’m going to look for you.”

 

I tried to force my legs still and ended up falling right on my face. “Ow! Damn, I’m a klutz today...”

 

Why was he saying things like that?I was the one who fell over. I tried using my psychic power to find Master’s aura. To my complete confusion, I felt him near, very close. But that made no sense. I still couldn’t find him…

 

One elderly man walked over to me. “Hey, kid? You okay?”

 

“I feel really weird and sore. What happened to me?” There! That was his voice again! I still had no idea where Luke was though…

 

“Thank the tapus you’re alive! I thought for sure your Pokémon did you in...”

 

I felt Luke’s defensiveness rise. “Lapis saved my life! What were those wiry things? Where’s Lapis? And what the hell’s going on?!”

 

“I saw the whole thing from across the deck! That was some guts your Gardevior had. It made a black hole right after those things started falling from the sky. I thought for sure you were a goner...”

 

Without thinking, my body moved again, shoving the old man. “Save the stories, where’s Lapis?!”

 

The old man fell quiet, exchanging looks with the other passengers. One lady passed a hand mirror up through the crowd, which the old man held out in front of him. “See for yourself, kid.”

 

The sight that met my eyes was absolutely astonishing. The face I expected to see had become something I never expected. My skin was no longer covered in my usual white fur. Instead, I had bare skin! My color was similar to my old fur, but I had a bit of Luke’s tan complexion. It turned my skin a very pale tan color. My features looked both like my own and Like Luke’s. I still had short, green hair, but I now had Luke’s facial build and hazel eyes. I stared at this for a few stunned moments before I had the presence of mind to look at the rest of me. To my further surprise, I noticed that I had the figure of a large-breasted human female, complete with a rather exaggerated waist. My horn still jutted from the center of my chest, but I was so baffled that I barely noted it. My skin had the same patterns of green and that human-like white, and I had retained my fur skirt, but underneath, I had the legs of a human. I also noticed that I also seemed to have acquired a penis in addition to my usual vagina. I was not wearing clothes as usual, but I could feel Luke’s additional shock at this discovery. I had no idea how this happened, but it looked like we were combined together! My head snapped up, and I stared at the old man.

 

“What the fuck,” Luke’s voice blared, “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

 

“You see now, kid? Looks like you got fused with your Pokémon.” The man passed the mirror back through the crowd, “I think you’ve got yourself a major problem-”

 

“Where’s that fucking spark-headed freak!? I’ll rip it a new asshole!” Luke roared with fists balled. I could feel his anger explode like a furious Mankey.

 

“Cool it, kid!” The man grabbed my—or _our_ —shoulder, “You can’t just fight like this! Come on below deck. I have something to tell you.”

 

The old man didn’t give us much choice. He was already dragging us to the stairwell. We had to maneuver through the still-stunned crowd, who parted around us as if in awe.

 

I, meanwhile, was in shock myself. Was I really fused with Master? How could this be? I never meant for this to happen. I was just so desperate to protect Master, I acted on pure instinct. All I could do was follow the old man below deck as directed.


	3. Fusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Lapis learn more about their situation with the help of a strange old man who suddenly showed up. Who is he? And what will Luke and Lapis do now that they are fused together?

 

I trailed after the old man who had grabbed us by the shoulder. He was leading us down the stairwell and down several decks. My head was still spinning from what we learned. Somehow, Luke and I were fused together. The man insinuated that I was somehow responsible. I could not even begin to understand it. First off, how could I have done this? All I did was try to protect Master. Second, even if I was responsible somehow, I never meant to have _this_ happen.

 

“Lapis, this isn’t your fault,” Luke reassured me, “Don’t blame yourself.”

 

“But isn’t it my fault?” I asked, then balked at my own voice. It seemed like my body wasn’t all that I shared with Luke now. I could speak like a human now! The voice I now had was not unlike the voice I used in my telepathy. It felt very odd to hear the voice I always knew in my head being spoken aloud.

 

I could feel Luke’s surprise at my voice as well. “You can talk now!” Then, he seemed to get an idea, _“I wonder if I can speak telepathically now. Say something if you hear me.”_

 

I couldn’t resist the chance for some light-hearted snark. “Something.”

 

That made Luke laugh. “I guess I asked for it!” He paused then replied, _“Hey Lapis. Can you still hear this?”_

 

I nodded in surprise again. Luke seemed to have acquired my telepathy! I wondered what else we now shared along with a body. My thoughts went wild as we followed the old man farther down the staircase.

 

“Here, come right in here you two.” The man gave us no choice, still dragging us by a shoulder as he opened a door at the bottom of the stairs. I noticed just then that we descended a fair ways into the belly of the ship, perhaps all the way to the bottom-most deck. The air was somewhat colder down here too. Or maybe that was just because I had lost most of my fur—I couldn’t really tell which. How did humans deal with being hairless like this?

 

“There, privacy at last,” the old man said as he shut the door behind us. “Now, I’m sure you two have plenty of questions for me. But before I say anything about it, you two need to understand-”

 

“Damn straight we need to understand!” Luke cut in, “What the hell’s going on here?!”

 

“Don’t be impertinent, boy!” The man scolded, “I’ll explain in due time. But first, you two must be utterly exhausted after all you’ve been through. How are you feeling?”

 

I felt Luke’s impatience smolder, but he remained calm for now. “Mostly dizzy and sore I guess. I can barely even walk like this...”

 

So he was having issues controlling this body too. Perhaps we needed to work on that at some point. “This is hard,” I added, “I don’t even know what to do...”

 

“I can imagine. You two must be lost right now. Please, have a seat. We have a lot to talk about.” The old man pulled a chair out from behind a desk and dragged it to us. He retrieved a blanket from the foot of his cot and handed it to us. I gladly wrapped it around our shoulders. The man sat on the edge of his cot across from us, giving us a scrutinizing look.

 

“It’s exactly as I thought,” he hummed as he studied us further, “another fusion! I never thought I’d see another like us...”

 

“Us?” I asked as I returned the look with some suspicion. I was sure I misheard the old man. He was a pale-skinned, balding old man with thin, graying hair, green eyes, and a wiry build. He was wearing a purple bandanna tied around his head and one of those colorfully-patterned shirts, this one green with a Bellossom-print motif. Around his neck, a twine pendant made from a Pokémon claw was hanging to the center of his chest. He completed the ensemble with simple, khaki shorts and brown flip-flops. The man seemed ordinary enough, but if he was to be believed, he was anything _but_ ordinary.

 

The old man nodded once with a small smile. “You heard me right, Gardevoir. You two are not the only fusion, nor are you the first.” The man tossed his head slightly. “C’mon, help me explain.”

 

His green eyes turned a glowing blue color. A new, female voice then spoke. “You told me that I should not speak when we are in this form, Akoni.”

 

The man—Akoni was what the female voice called him—spoke up again. “This time is different. We are among fellows now. They deserve to know as much as we do. They seem so very confused. Help me out, Dalia.”

 

The female voice sighed. “Very well. Since you insist, then I will elaborate. But first, we should show them what we are like before we overwhelm them with the story. I can already sense them growing suspicious of us.”

 

What did she mean by sensing our suspicion? Was Dalia a psychic like me? I couldn’t sense it. I was having a very hard time doing anything properly in this mixed-up form of ours.

 

“Good point. Seeing our true form should put these two more at ease.” Akoni stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt.

 

“Argh, the hell?!” Luke blurted, covering our face with an arm, “My eyes, old man!”

 

“What, am I offending your sensibilities, whippersnapper?” Akoni sounded amused, “What a silly boy you are. You will learn nothing by cowering in your arm like that. Besides, I have nothing that you don’t have too. Now straighten up and be a man.”

 

I was a bit miffed at Akoni’s choice of words, but he had a point. I raised my head to look, amid Luke’s reluctance. I saw that Akoni had removed his clothing and was standing in front of us, bare-naked. That wasn’t what shocked me most. His body had become some kind of combined form, just like me and Luke!

 

I couldn’t help staring for a moment. Seeing a human blended with a Pokémon was such a strange thing. I could see Akoni was now a lot more fit-looking than when I first saw him. His shape was lean and athletic like a martial artist’s. In addition to becoming a lot more muscular, Akoni had become taller and had the bearing of a warrior. I realized the Pokémon he resembled was a Lucario, but the features he had were a blend of human and Pokémon like we were. His face had become pointed and canine, complete with ears and tufts of white hair-like fur around the top of his head. His skin was a pinkish-blue and had the black mask-like markings of a Pokémon. The coloration continued down his entire body, though he had a sparse patch of yellow fur on his chest, and long blue fur on his thighs. His feet had become digitigrade paws like Lucario’s, but still had the toes of a human. Akoni had a tail now, but it was the same hairless pink-blue color as his face. He also retained Lucario’s chest-spike, and the hand-spikes too. Like us, he also had mixed-gender features, including breasts, and I assumed he had a penis and vagina like we now did. His ample pelvic and thigh fur obscured that detail though.

 

“W-what the hell is this?” Luke stammered.

 

“What’s it look like, boy?” Akoni tipped his head at us, “This is what Dalia and I really are.”

 

The female voice—Dalia I now knew—spoke again from Akoni, “We are neither human nor Pokémon anymore. We are something entirely different. We are a fusion.”

 

“A... fusion?” I asked, “What do you mean by that?”

 

“We are two souls sharing one body,” Dalia continued as they sat down on the edge of the bed across from me, “I am Akoni, and he is also I.”

 

I felt Luke's confusion rise. “Mind speaking English?”

 

“What part of that's hard to understand?” Akoni asked. When he only got our baffled stares as an answer, he continued, “What Dalia's trying to say is that we're like you—a mix of human and Pokémon.”

 

Luke became a bit miffed. “I get that much, but how are you like us? Did you get hit by Dalia's attack too or what?”

 

Dalia spoke up, “We got caught up in an Ultra Wormhole. I tried to save Akoni, but it dragged us both in. When we came to, we were like this.”

 

“O...kay?” Luke scratched his ear, “What's that Ultra Wormhole thing? Is it that thing that opened up in the sky earlier?”

 

Akoni smiled and nodded once. “That's correct. An Ultra Wormhole connects our world to another dimension called Ultra Space.”

 

I felt Luke's emotions change from confusion to understanding. “Then those things that rained from the sky were from Ultra Space or something?”

 

“You're refreshingly sharp for a kid. I like kids with some brains in their head.” Akoni nodded and continued, “Yes, the creatures we saw are native to another world. They are similar to Pokémon, but are not quite Pokémon. They are Ultra Beasts, beings that live in Ultra Space. The Ultra Beast we saw is called Xurkitree. They are numerous in their home world, equivalent to a common Pokémon like Pikipek or Yungoos.”

 

“A common being?” I felt Luke getting anxious, “So you mean there's even _more_ of those Xurkitree things in that Ultra Space?!”

 

“Yes, and they are not the only Ultra Beasts we know of. There's about a dozen or so species. Probably even more that we don't know about.”

 

“Well shit.” Luke shook his head, and I felt him becoming more upset. “This isn't exactly good news, but what do the Ultra Wormholes have to do with us?”

 

“Maybe nothing, maybe everything,” Dalia was speaking, “We were fused when we entered an Ultra Wormhole. You were fused by your Pokémon's black hole. It's possible that the reason behind the fusions is related to both events.”

 

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” Luke's mood shifted to exasperation. He sighed and broke eye-contact, “What the ever-loving hell have I gotten into, Lapis?”

 

I was at a loss too. “I wish I had an answer...”

 

“This must be hard to grasp,” Dalia put a sympathetic hand on our shoulder, “You have my condolences.”

 

“I think I understand, but Luke is getting frustrated.” I answered them.

 

“I get it fine,” Luke replied, “It's just a little much to take in...”

 

Tell me about it. What Akoni/Dalia told me was making my head spin. At least we had these two to learn from, so I had to try to absorb as much as possible.

 

“So what now?” I asked, “Are the Xurkitree gone?”

 

I felt Luke come to attention. He stood up and balled his fists, “That's right, those fucking _things_ did this to us! I'm so pissed I could scream! They're gonna pay for this!”

 

“Cool it, kid,” Akoni scolded as he pushed us back into the chair, “Rushing out like a headless Rufflett will only get you killed or worse. You haven't even gotten the hang of your body yet. If you fight like this, you'd only get yourselves killed. Think about who else shares your body, boy. Don't put your partner through hell just because you have a bug in your britches, got it?!”

 

“Try and have some perspective, Akoni,” Dalia cut Akoni off, “They only just learned what happened to them. It's natural to be frightened, confused, even angry. Remember how scared you were, how scared _I_ was? I do, and these two are no different.”

 

Akoni folded his arms with a sigh. “You're too soft, but you have a point. I'm sorry for snapping, okay? Now quit lecturing me.”

 

“Don't apologize to me. Apologize to...” Dalia tipped her head at us, “What are your names anyway? I don't believe we asked...”

 

“I'm Luke, and the Gardevoir is Lapis,” Luke introduced us.

 

“As you probably know, I am Dalia. I was once Akoni's Pokémon partner. And this is also Akoni, a Pokémon trainer. Sorry for not introducing us earlier.”

 

“Don't sweat it. This whole thing is so whack I forgot to introduce us too.” Luke replied.

 

“Luke, Lapis, an honor to formally greet you. Now Akoni, apologize to Luke and Lapis. They did not deserve that attitude.” Dalia reprimanded.

 

“Fine, fine, get off my case already.” Akoni took a breath and grumbled, “Sorry. That was probably unfair of me.” Akoni's tone rose slightly, “However, I won't take back my point. Both of you need to understand that your lives are no longer your own. Both of you need to take the other's feelings and opinions into account before acting, get it?”

 

“Got it.” Luke was getting a bit embarrassed by Akoni's rebuke.

 

Akoni nodded sharply, “Good. Now on to other matters. I'm sure you noticed you are naked. You two need something to wear.”

 

Luke looked down at our mixed-up body. “I don't know what to do. Do I dress like a boy, or like a girl?”

 

Akoni rolled his eyes. “What do _you_ think, Doduo-brain? Ask Lapis, not me!”

 

“I haven't worn clothes before,” I admitted, “But Master did put a bow in my hair once.”

 

“This is different, Lapis. Pokémon are supposed to be naked, not humans!”

 

“What about your previous clothes?” I asked, “I don't mind that.”

 

Akoni shook his head, “'Fraid that's a no-go, kid. Your old clothes won't fit the new-you.” Akoni was rummaging in a suitcase as he spoke, “I still have clothes from when Dalia and I couldn't change forms yet. It'll have to do 'till we reach Konikoni City.”

 

“Wait a second! I was supposed to visit Mom and Dad in Hau'oli City! I can't go to Konikoni without seeing them first!” Luke protested.

 

“Now listen to you, boy. Just how do you think your parents will react to...” Akoni waved a hand at us, “ _...that!_ ”

 

“Dad used to be a trainer. He'll understand!” I could tell Luke was saying that to mask his uncertainty.

 

“And your mother?”

 

“She'll probably be more worried about whether or not I'm alright. What's it to you? You don't know me from Adam. Why are you up in my business anyway?” I sensed Luke getting annoyed with Akoni again.

 

Akoni finally stopped rummaging and stood to look us in the eye. “You don't even _know_ what you don't know, boy. I'm only trying to warn you. People act real funny around hybrids like us. They call us monsters, try to catch us, chase us out of towns, and more. Get it? You're in danger as long as you stay like this.”

 

“Then teach us how to change like you do!” Luke stood up, “I'm a fast learner, teach me!”

 

Akoni folded his arms. “It's not something I can teach, boy. You and your Pokémon have to be in perfect sync to change back to either form. 'Till then, you're stuck like this, get it?”

 

“Oh fuck me,” Luke slumped back to the chair. “You mean I can't turn back into a human?”

 

“You get it now, kid? You're stuck. And unless you plan on getting your sorry hide caught by some kid, you're gonna have to listen up and listen up good. We have to begin your training as soon as possible. The sooner you get yourself looking more normal, the better. We'll detour to visit your folks, but you need to stick with me from then on, get it?”

 

“Okay, okay, fine!” Luke was getting irritated again. He sighed and shook his head. “Look, I just wanna get back to normal. I'm a freak-show like this!”

 

Dalia spoke up, “It's understandable to be frustrated, Luke. But think about how Lapis must feel. She has to adapt to this too.”

 

I felt Luke's frustration get replaced with surprise. “You're right. I've been so wrapped up in my feelings that I haven't even let her talk. Lapis? What do you think?”

 

Good question. I was still trying to sort out my feelings on this. “I don't know what to think, Master. I can manage so long as I have you with me.”

 

Dalia got a hint of a smile on hearing me call Luke Master again. “Your Pokémon trusts you more than you know, Luke. I haven't seen such a devoted aura in a long time. Your Pokémon needs you to be strong for her. Think you can do it?”

 

I couldn't help blushing. Dalia was really on point about me and Luke. I didn't usually talk about my feelings with anyone but Luke, so having Dalia point it out was a bit embarrassing. I felt Luke's resolve when he nodded his reply.

 

“Huh. Well ain't that a Pecha. You and Dalia are hitting it off well. Here, kid.” Akoni put a set of clothes in our lap. “We'll be making landfall in Melemele in about twenty minutes, so get decent.”

 

“You too, gramps.” Luke shot back with a witty smirk.

 

“Gramps? Well, I did call you kid. I guess I earned that one. Suit up you two. It's not exactly the latest fashion, but it'll preserve your modesty.”

 

“ _I can't believe this...”_ I heard Master's voice in my mind as we put the clothes on, _“We're stuck together? Permanently?”_

 

“ _If what these guys said is true, yes,”_ I replied, _“I'm sorry Luke.”_

 

I felt Master become a bit confused. _“Why are you sorry? You saved my life.”_

 

I hung my head sadly. _“I made that black hole. I did this to us. This is my fault...”_

 

“ _Lapis...”_ My mood fell further when I sensed Master becoming sad. He suddenly perked up and replied, _“You know what? It doesn't matter if it was your fault or not. What matters is what the hell do we do now?”_

 

I thought for a moment. _“Akoni and Dalia are more experienced than us. We should trust their guidance.”_

 

“ _But that's just it. Dalia seems like an alright girl, but something about that Akoni guy makes me kinda suspicious.”_

 

Good point again. Why were they so interested in us anyway? Was it really just because we were fellow fusions? When we finished dressing, we were wearing an over-sized pair of khaki shorts and one of those button-down shirts. This one was orange with a Cherrim-print motif.

 

“Good. Very good.” We looked up to find that Akoni was human again and had gotten dressed. “Now listen up you two. You saw how everyone reacted to you right? I want you to stay in your room until we make landfall. No need to stir up the whole ship again.”

 

We nodded our agreement, and Luke spoke, “Fine. But what now?”

 

“You said you have family to visit, right? We'll get that over with so we can start your training.”

 

“We? You're coming with me?” Luke asked.

 

Akoni nodded once. “Of course I am, kid. Just think of me as your backup plan if something happens.”

 

“Nothing's gonna happen, gramps. It's my parents.” Luke was getting annoyed again. “It's none of your business what I do!”

 

Akoni folded his arms and gave us a stern look. “You better be right, kid. You better be right. Now get back to your room already. Don't go above deck, hear?”

 

We crossed the room to the door as Luke said, “Whatever. Just leave me be for a while. I gotta think about this...”

 

 


End file.
